11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Track B:
Animation Migration: Between TV, Film and the Net
Due to the perfect confluence of bandwidth and state of the art application development, animation is now the most popular creative form being developed by the online entertainment community. In fact, it’s devouring the Net. Every well known film and television company is branching out onto the Net, and they’re not alone. The marketplace is filled with amazingly talented newcomers. In this opening session of Digital Hollywood, we will explore the current state of animation as a dynamic Net entertainment form - by placing equal emphasis on how we can expect it to evolve as well as how it might influence other entertainment mediums.
Buzz Hays, Head of Studio, Dotcomix (co-producer "Swimming with Sharks")
Gerald V. Casale, Director, Pandemonium (founder DEVO, Music Video Director - Cars, Soundgarden, the FOO Fighters; Director Miller Lite "Dick" campaign)
Eric Calderon, Animation & Digital Development Executive, Atom Films
Sam Register, Vice President, Cartoon Network Online
Buzz Potamkin, CEO, Visionary Media (former head of television at Hanna Barbera)
Dave Serwatka, Executive Producer, Shows & Series, shockwave.com
John Hegeman, CEO, Distant Corners
Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, CEO, Platinum Studios, Moderator
Eric Calderon, Animation & Digital Development Executive, Atom Films: Prior to joining Atom Films, Eric Calderon led the animation development at MTV and was responsible for generating some of MTV's most popular animation series, including Cartoon Sushi, Celebrity Deathmatch, Daria, Downtown, adn the upcoming Spygroove. Eric's original woks include the one-time MV special Virtual Bill adn When Animated Animals Attack.
Sam Register, Vice President, Cartoon Network Online: Sam Register is the vice president of Cartoon Network Online, the creative director and the driving force behind the look and feel of CartoonNetwork.com, which has vaulted to become one of the Top 3 kids’ sites on the Web since its July 1998 launch. With over nine years experience in visual and interactive design for children, Sam is the key player in getting Cartoon Network initiatives to be visualized both internally and externally for a converged world. Register is also the creative interface guiding third party relationships in CartoonNetwork.com’s on-going development, especially for the site’s groundbreaking "Web Premiere Toons" – original, interactive cartoons from top programming and underground animation talent. CartoonNetwork.com remains the number one place online for access to the world’s largest collection of classic cartoon characters, including the entire Looney Tunes and Hanna-Barbera libraries, plus Cartoon Network originals. Consistently ranked in the top visited entertainment sites, they are aggressively expanding: more than doubling the amount of Web Premiere Toons and tripling interactive games, launching an average of four new games a month.
Gerald V. Casale, Director, Pandemonium: "Before DEVO made records, we thought of ourselves as sort of a clearinghouse for ideas. We wanted to be involved in film, theatre, visual art, and audio art," says Casale. "With Pandemonium, we’re going back to the ideal. Clients will be able to collaborate with one-of-kind talents to create memorable work in any format imaginable." The work of Gerald Casale has withstood the test of time. Partnered with Mark Mothersbaugh in the pop group DEVO Casale helped what would later become the music video format; intriguing visual storylines intercut with band performances. Gerald directed all 20 of the pop group’s music videos including beautiful world and that’s good. He then turned his attention to directing videos for other bands, signing on as guest director in London at Media Lab, a production company formed by Kevin Godley & Loell Creme. There, he helmed videos for such groups as the Cars, Rush, Blancmange, and Jane Siberry. In the nineties, he directed videos for the likes of Silverchair, Soundgarden, the FOO Fighters, Mint Condition, and HUM. Soon after, Casale took his directing skills into the commercial market, feeling the genre was now part of pop culture. "I love commercial directing, especially concepts that are not politically correct," he says. Spots for AT&T, Unicare, Pennzoil, DIVX, AM/PM, StarATM, and ArtistDirect.com soon followed. Most notable though, was his direction of five spots for the Miller Lite "Dick" campaign. The bright colors and over-the-top acting seems to be inspired by the classic DEVO videos; a point not contested by Casale. "They came to me for all the right reasons, a unique visual style coupled with edgy casting." Now at Pandemonium, Casale looks forward to using his talents to create original animation for the Internet. "Jerry’s work is good storytelling, it always has been," says Pandemonium Director of Development Tommy Means. "Jerry has a visual and musical sense unique to him. He creates an alternative world for the viewer and then invites them in. His work gets people’s attention, and that’s the whole point." Jerry first Flash Animated cartoon, "Club DEVO", debuted on Shockwave.com on June 27, 2000.
Buzz Potamkin, CEO, Visionary Media: Buzz Potamkin, one of animation's most respected and honored producers and most recently Executive Vice President, Executive Producer & H
ead of TV at Hanna- Barbera in Los Angeles, has been named to the board of directors of Visionary Media LLC, the developer of WhirlGirl, the futuristic, action-adventure series. Potamkin, who continues as President of Project X has just completed production of Buster & Chauncey's Silent Night, a direct-to-video hour starring Marie Osmond, Phil Hartman, and Tom Arnold (released through Columbia Tri-Star Home Video with an October 23 street date) in addition to serving with Roy Disney as honorary executive producer for the UNICEF Animation Consortium. At Hanna-Barbera (1991-96) he created its highly praised Shorts unit, personally producing four shorts which have become series on the Cartoon Network: Dexter's Laboratory, Johnny Bravo, Cow and Chicken, and Powerpuff Girls. He was the only person ever to work as Co- Executive Producer of The Flintstones, Scooby Doo, and Johnny Quest with Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera. He was Executive Producer of Dr. Seuss' award-winning Dayzie-Head Maysie. As founder and president of Southern Star Productions (1984-91) his series included CBS Storybreak, Peter Pan, Teen Wolf, and the Berenstain Bears. In 1990 with Roy Disney as executive producer, Potamkin produced the TV Academy's Cartoon All-Stars to the Rescue, the only non-news program ever to be seen simultaneously on all four major TV networks. In 1968 Potamkin founded Perpetual Motion Pictures with two employees. Over the next decade it became Gotham's largest animation studio with 110 employees. He produced hundreds of TV commercials including the Hawaiian Punch series. In 1981 he produced the famous "I Want My MTV" campaign. His awards include four Clios, the MTV Video Award, more than 20 ASIFA commendations, the Cannes Gold Lion, the Venice Silver Lion, the Cable Ace, the Peabody, the Scott Newman Award, two New York Festival Gold Medals and three Silver Medals, The Child in Our Time Award from MIFED, two Humanitas and seven Emmy nominations.Buzz Hays, Head of Studio, Dotcomix: With an extensive film production and new media background, Hays co-founded Tribeca Interactive in the fall of 1995 with Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal of Tribeca Productions. In 1993 and 1994, he produced the critically acclaimed independent feature Swimming with Sharks with Kevin Spacey. Buzz was the head of research and development at THX, a division of Lucasfilm, Ltd., from 1987 to 1992 where he was responsible for technology development for film and television production tools. In 1994, Buzz founded Stone's Throw Films, an independent film and television production company in San Francisco.
Dave Serwatka, Executive Producer, Shows & Series, shockwave.com: Dave Serwatka comes to shockwave.com following a three-year tenure as Director of West Coast Production & Development at Comedy Central, involved in such shows as Win Ben Steinís Money, Turn Ben Stein On, and a new sitcom with Julie Brown, Strip Mall. Prior to that Serwatka was a Talent Executive for The U.S. Comedy Arts Festival and worked as a producer at HBO Downtown Productions in New York. At shockwave.com, Serwatka will be responsible for developing and overseeing the production of original content for the site and expanding the presence of shockwave.com in the Los Angeles creative community.
Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, CEO, Platinum Studios: Scott Mitchell Rosenberg is Chairman of Hollywood’s premier company for comic book-to-film adaptation, Platinum Studios. His company has earned a reputation as a diversified, producer-based provider of outstanding online/offline content in the global marketplace. In addition to developing original entertainment properties, Platinum Studios cultivates an extensive and growing library of over 1,000 comic book characters to create global franchise properties encompassing the full range of film, television, multimedia, licensing and merchandising on a worldwide basis. Headquartered in Beverly Hills, CA, Platinum Studios was established in 1997 by Rosenberg. During its first years in operation, Rosenberg and Platinum Studios carved high-profile motion picture development deals with Universal Pictures for Cowboys & Aliens; New Line Cinema for Million Dollar Heroes; and Miramax/Dimension Films for Dead of Night and Ghosting. In late 1999, Rosenberg broke new ground with Miramax’s Dimension Films for a first-of-its-kind agreement to develop Platinum’s extensive global library of top comic book titles for international co-production. Greenlighted films will be co-produced by Platinum and Dimension on location within the selected titles’ country of origin utilizing local talent and crews. Produced in the language of each titles’ originating country for distribution within the local country, the films will be dubbed or sub-titles into English for worldwide distribution. Platinum has assembled an exciting slate of high profile feature films which will be produced by Rosenberg. The company’s long term alliance with Europe’s Strip Art Features, will have company president Ervin Rustemagic, serving as co-producer along with Rosenberg. Cowboys & Aliens, based on Rosenberg’s original upcoming comic book webisodic series has been licensed to Universal Pictures. Based on the Italian comic book, Nathan Never is an inventive futuristic buddy-action film for DreamWorks SKG. For Miramax/Dimension Films is Dead of Night, based on the top-selling action horror comic book Dylan Dog, as well as Ghosting, a suspense tale set on a college campus. Created by Rosenberg for New Line Cinema, is the high-spirited comedy Million Dollar Heroes where two comic book artists, embroiled in a fierce rivalry, adopt their comic book personas and take to the streets of Manhattan. Under their international local language banner, and in association with Miramax/Dimension Films, Platinum Studios will produce Trace of Chalk, an intriguing romance set against exotic European locales, and Teen Witch a coming-of-age story with an inspired twist. Premiering late Fall 2000, Platinum Studios will launch PlatinumStudios.com, the official online home to its comic-book characters. PlatinumStudios.com exemplifies the growth of the Studio as they access and utilize renowned comic book artists to create webisodics for television, cable and the Internet. PlatinumStudios.com will be a focal point for original animated webisodes from noted creators from around the world, and will be released in all languages. Platinum Studios has effectively amassed an extensive global library of best-selling comic book titles and over 1,000 comic book characters. The library features action-adventure, romance, comedy-adventure, science fiction and fantasy titles created and produced by the most celebrated writers and artists in the field. Together with his creative development team, Rosenberg transforms select titles from the company’s vast library into global film franchises effectively meeting the growing audience demand. Rosenberg launched Platinum Studios following a successful, high-profile career in the comic book industry as founder and head of Malibu Comics. As principal of Malibu Comics, Rosenberg gained an industry-wide reputation for translating comic titles into feature film blockbusters when he developed Men in Black for Columbia Pictures and Amblin Entertainment. Men in Black ranks as the highest grossing comic to film adaptation, generating over $580 million box office worldwide, demonstrating the tremendous appetite for comic book-based filmed entertainment.